Former Trump adviser and Republican strategist Barry Bennett charged with hiding illegal lobbying for Qatar while ex-president was in the White House
- Bennett was an adviser to Trump's 2016 campaign
- Prosecutors said the case will be dismissed after he pays a $100,000 fine
A political consultant has been accused of providing false information about lobbying on behalf of a wealthy Persian Gulf country during the Trump administration.
Barry Bennett was an advisor to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and the foreign nation was reportedly Qatar.
Federal prosecutors have filed two charges against Bennett.
They also indicated that the case will be dismissed after he fulfills the terms of a deferred prosecution agreement, including the payment of a $100,000 fine.
Barry Bennett, pictured in 2015 when he was Ben Carson for President Campaign Manager
Justice Department court documents released Tuesday alleged that Bennett led a secret and lucrative lobbying campaign.
It was reportedly aimed at advancing the interests of one country, including by denigrating a rival country.
The country for which the work was done is not mentioned in the documents, but matches the description of Qatar,
In 2017, Qatar paid Bennett's company $2.1 million for lobbying work.
That year, Bennett signed a contract for his company, Avenue Strategies, to conduct lobbying work on behalf of the Qatari embassy, according to the Justice Department.
He also reported to the Ministry of Justice to lobby for the embassy.
But as part of that strategy, prosecutors said he also covertly operated another company called Yemen Crisis Watch.
US President Donald J. Trump speaks during a meeting with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on July 9, 2019
A plane flies over the marina over the water from the 974 Stadium in Doha, Qatar on December 24, 2023
It waged a public relations campaign to denigrate one of Qatar's unnamed rivals and improve Qatar's standing with the US government.
That effort included lobbying Congress and Trump, as well as a social media campaign, publishing op-ed articles in newspapers and producing a television documentary, prosecutors said.
Yemen Crisis Watch has urged the public to contact their lawmakers and urge them to “cease” the intervention in Yemen by Qatar's unnamed rival, prosecutors said.
Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been involved in military operations in Yemen that critics say have contributed to a humanitarian crisis.
The case is part of several investigations by federal law enforcement officials related to Qatar's aggressive influence campaign during the Trump administration.
During that time it was the target of a blockade by Saudi Arabia and other neighboring countries.